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It’s all about champagne wishes and caviar dreams at award-winning oasis created by Sir Elton John’s Scarborough-born and raised husband, David Furnish

“It’s an extension of one of our own homes,” said David Furnish, the Scarborough-born and raised husband of Sir Elton John and Fizz’s creative director. “I wanted to make sure that anyone who comes into Fizz gets that special personal and intimate feeling.”
(Bizuayehu Tesfaye for the Toronto Star)

Fizz celebrated its official star-studded grand opening last March, when the venue, created by Sir Elton John’s husband, David Furnish, left, hosted the Rocket Man's 67th birthday party. (David Becker)

Inside Fizz, hues of cognac, copper, ivory and gold are accented by bronze glass, cream leather, silk, faux fur and cheetah prints, and the whole confection is tied off with chandeliers and $1.5-million in paintings and photos from Sir Elton John and husband David Furnish's own art collection. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye for the Toronto Star)

The split-level, 2,750-square-foot bar and lounge has earned Fizz the 10th annual Hospitality Design Magazine award for its Todd Avery-Lenahan design in June.
(Bizuayehu Tesfaye for the Toronto Star)

The Fizz menu includes unique dishes created by John and Furnish's personal chef Gauthier Bialek, such as Madras Curry Chicken and Plantain Sandwiches for $9. (Peter Harasty)

It may not be a five buck all-you-can-eat buffet, but for $10 the Muffaletta Panini Bites with ham, salami, mortadella, provolone, green olive tapenade served on focaccia, created by John and Furnish's personal chef, sure looks tasty. (Peter Harasty)

At $55, the Caviar on the Rocks, consisting of buckwheat blinis, crème fraîche and Siberian Ossetra caviar served on ice, is the most expensive small-plate item at Fizz. (Peter Harasty)

By Henry StancuStaff Reporter

Thu., Aug. 14, 2014

Stepping into the lavish Las Vegas champagne lounge Fizz is said to be like visiting one of the homes of Sir Elton John and his husband, David Furnish.

This is, perhaps, no great surprise, as the creative director of this upscale Caesars Palace nightspot is Furnish himself, a former advertising executive, now a film producer and director, and the spouse of the British rock star. And that was his intention all along.

The Scarborough-born and raised Furnish heads up Rocket Pictures with John and is on the board of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Furnish and John were married in 2005. (The couple has two young sons born to a surrogate mother.)

Inside Fizz, hues of cognac, copper, ivory and gold are accented by bronze glass, cream leather, silk, faux fur and cheetah prints, and the whole confection is tied off with chandeliers and $1.5-million in paintings and photos from the couple’s own art collection.

And that’s just the decor.

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The split-level, 2,750-square-foot bar and lounge has earned Fizz the 10th annual Hospitality Design Magazine award for its Todd Avery-Lenahan design in June.

“It’s an extension of one of our own homes,” said Furnish, in a phone call from Europe. “I wanted to make sure that anyone who comes into Fizz gets that special personal and intimate feeling.”

Furnish said he went with his “heart and gut feeling” about what the character of the place should be and, working with Avery-Lenahan, it turned out to be a winning formula, not just in the look and ambience of Fizz but also in the response from guests.

“I like hearing people say they feel like they’ve been transported out of the craziness of the casino and into another world that’s beautiful, luxurious and a special treat,” Furnish said.

Fizz is located in Caesars Vegas resort between the Forum Shops and the Colosseum, where John has performed his Million Dollar Piano concerts since 2011, including the 3,000th live show of his five-decade career. It is owned and operated by the Marvel Management and Marketing (M3) firm belonging to the nightlife innovation team of Michael Greco and Steven Kennedy.

Designed and built at a cost of $3.2 million, this is the furthest thing from a fast-food outlet or five-buck all-you-can-eat Vegas buffet spot.

“I wanted to create a place where someone like Elton would feel comfortable and safe in a celebratory way and really enjoy being there,” Furnish said. “So he was my gold standard, because he’s been to so many places in his life. In this day and age, it’s a little bit more of a chore for a celebrity to go out because of camera phones. There’s a lot less privacy.”

Patrons generally enter through the front doors, but there’s a back door where a vehicle can pull right up for guests who prefer to make a discrete entrance.

“If somebody wants to join in with the crowd, they can go into the main floor, or, if they want privacy, they can go up the staircase to our V.I.P. area overlooking the main bar,” Furnish said.

The venue, which caters to people looking for pre- or post-show cocktails, light appetizers and desserts, has grabbed the attention of a slew of music and movie celebrities since its official star-studded grand opening last March when the venue hosted Elton John’s 67th birthday party.

“Everybody is welcome and Fizz can be whatever you want it to be,” said Furnish. “It can be a really nice place for a drink and a nibble, before or after taking in some entertainment, or, if you want to take out a bunch of friends, get a booth and make a night of it, you can do that, too.

“The theory I had going into it is that people coming to Las Vegas are looking for a treat. It’s all about fun things to do, spoiling yourself and celebrating life.

“As well as getting people who come for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries and other parties, we have a lot of Vegas locals who’ve made it their Cheers place where they feel comfortable and at home,” Furnish said.

Patrons can order bubbly and red and white wines by the glass or bottle for as little as $9 a flute — and as much as $2,725 for a bottle of Cristal Rose 2005.

Just as the design and furnishings reflect the tastes of John and Furnish, so do the dishes, which are the creations of the couple’s personal chef, Gauthier Bialek. Small plates of Madras Curry Chicken and Plantain Sandwiches and Panini Bites are $9, the Thai Lobster Summer Rolls are $12 and Caviar on the Rocks is $55. Desserts are $10.

Cocktails range in price from $18 to $2,500.

The eye-popping price is what you pay for a Fizz Deluxe, which features among its ingredients Grand Marnier Quintessence, Hennessy Richard Cognac, Dom Pérignon Rosé champagne, a rose petal and 24-karat gold flakes.

Cheers, indeed!

If You Go

Have a good time!

David Furnish is sincere in wanting you to do just that.

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